Water to flush the head

Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
I have the tee from the sink in my bathroom and works great just follow what Peggie says.
Nick
 

KZW

.
May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Peggy,
On the later model 310s the outlet for the shower sump and refrigerator sump is the seacock for the raw water inlet for the head. The hose has a T about 1.5 feet from the seacock.
 

Lisa

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Oct 12, 2017
71
Catalina 310 323 Middle River, Md
Thanks for the info. I think this will accomplish what we are looking for and will be a lot cheaper and easier.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
...On the later model 310s the outlet for the shower sump and refrigerator sump is the seacock for the raw water inlet for the head. ....
I don't think I'd like that. The food stuff from the fridge and shower do not necessarily sink, and may well be picked up as you flush into the head.
 
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Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
On the later model 310s the outlet for the shower sump and refrigerator sump is the seacock for the raw water inlet for the head.
They obviously heard about a good idea and then screwed it up trying to improve on it...confirming what I've said for years: boat builders are the WORST sanitation system designers (assuming what they do can even be called a "design") on the planet. They do what costs 'em the least, whether it it's a good idea or even makes sense.

The good news is, you're not stuck with their bad idea. All you needed to do was reroute the head intake line to tee into the sink drain line and leave that thru-hull to the tender merciees of the shower and fridge sump. Give me another shout when they start to stink and I'll be glad to help you solve that problem.
 
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KZW

.
May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
"The good news is, you're not stuck with their bad idea. All you needed to do was reroute the head intake line to tee into the sink drain line and leave that thru-hull to the tender merciees of the shower and fridge sump. Give me another shout when they start to stink and I'll be glad to help you solve that problem."

This is exactly what I did on my boat. Read my earlier post.
 

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
I too have toyed with the notion of converting to a fresh water flush for our two manual PHII heads. (I pump about 2 or 3 gallons of fresh water out the bowl when we aren't going to be on the boar for a week, or more, just to keep the pump and lines in better shape.). The raw water supply does get a bit stale and smelly until we flush it out after a week or so.

My concern, other than "wasting" fresh water, is with cross comtamination of the fresh water system. Back flow might not be likely, but....? I don't know if the system would be protected?
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
My concern, other than "wasting" fresh water, is with cross comtamination of the fresh water system. Back flow might not be likely, but....? I don't know if the system would be protected?
There have been a lot of threads addressing your concern. search for them, and you'll be enlightened.
 

KZW

.
May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Teeing the pump's supply side to the sink drain should be okay, and you just fill the sink to flush.
You put the T in the sink drain. The T is from the drain to the head. You put water in the sink through the standard spigot. There is NO connection between freshwater supply and head.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
I too have toyed with the notion of converting to a fresh water flush for our two manual PHII heads. (I pump about 2 or 3 gallons of fresh water out the bowl when we aren't going to be on the boar for a week, or more, just to keep the pump and lines in better shape.). The raw water supply does get a bit stale and smelly until we flush it out after a week or so.

My concern, other than "wasting" fresh water, is with cross comtamination of the fresh water system. Back flow might not be likely, but....? I don't know if the system would be protected?
Except for the Raritan Fresh Head FRESH_HEAD Promo Sheet which is designed to use pressurized fresh water, there's no safe to way to connect ANY manual toilet to the fresh water plumbing. However, as Justsomeguy noted, connecting the toilet intake to a sink DRAIN doesn't connect it to the fresh water system...making the it only safe way to supply fresh water to any sea water toilet, manual or electric.

And btw...the sink drain also makes it a lot easier to winterize the sanitation system. Instead of having to disconnect the toilet intake line from the thru-hull and sticking it into a jug of antifreeze, all you have to do is close the drain seacock and pour the antifreeze down the sink...flush the antifreeze through the system...you're done.
There have been a lot of threads addressing your concern. search for them, and you'll be enlightened.
If you don't want to spend time searching the archives, all this is covered in detail in my book (see link in my signature).
 
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Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
Just an idea that I got from my RV toilet and they have a fresh water sprayer next to the toilet besides fresh water hooked up for flushing.
So what I did many years back was run a sprayer hose to my sink fresh water cold side and have the sprayer next to my head in boat and use that to flush and also use sink water to flush my head.
Yes I use fresh water to flush unless out away from a regular supply of fresh water and never have any kind of bad smelly salt water and using fresh water helps keep the head like new.
Nick
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
RV toilets don't have pumps with rubber parts in 'em that can be "gummed" up by the stuff in gray water or even need any lubrication. Nor do they have intake impellers. Plus, they ALL use flush water from their onboard fresh water...no sea water issues to deal with.
 
Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
I did install the sea era with raw sea water intake but really like using fresh water flushing so the sprayer was easy to install and I do also use the sink tee in for flushing.
I love the sea era with the location of the macerator and the pump for dry flush
And yes the RV toilet is so easy.
Nick
 
Jul 1, 2017
64
Hunter 356 Brightlingsea
Great discussion thank you......mod' on the todo list!
Glad it's not only me that suffers with the initial pong!
Neil
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Sorry for the late response. Been anchored off of St. John for Thanksgiving. Did get to meet Captain Fatty! Anyway, limited internet there.

Here is a pic of the "Peggy Upgrade" on the 310. For no. 1 you can switch to wet and flush and it pulls enough water for that fine. For no. 2 we put the drain plug in and flush for super flow. Cleans the bowl nice and quick. If we are ever going to leave the boat for a few days we close the through hull, fill the bowl with water and flush it through.

One tip, after opening the through hull you may need to prime the hand pump. With the through hull closed put some water in the sink, just enough until you can see it in the drain. Give the head 2-3 pumps until you see the water drop. Open the through hull and give the head 2-3 pumps and you are good to go.

Great upgrade and it freed up a through hull for our watermaker.

Good luck,

Jesse
 

Attachments

Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Another piece of advice, this pic was taken before we added a course mesh strainer to the line. In the Caribbean it's not uncommon for baby octopus to hide in through hulls. Then you flush and they get sucked up and wedged in the rim of the bowl. I had a friend get 2 in 2 weeks. There is nothing that smells quite as bad as the sweet and sour stench of decaying octopus. And you can't get into the bowl. So you just have to let it decay and come out on it's own. After smelling that on his boat I added a course mess strainer so any sea creatures would get caught there and not in the bowl.
 
May 2, 2012
276
Catalina 310 Toronto, Ontario
Thanks Jesse. The picture is great. Getting this done as soon as the weather permits.
Cheers
2 Old Pirates ;)
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
For no. 1 you can switch to wet and flush and it pulls enough water for that fine. For no. 2 we put the drain plug in and flush for super flow. Cleans the bowl nice and quick.
You'll use a lot less flush water after solids because the bowl won't need much cleaning if you add about a pint of water to it ahead of use. If your toilet isn't one that can bring water in and hold it in the bowl, use a beer cup from the sink.